Conduct spring cleaning with caution

According to the Home Safety Council, unintentional home-related injuries cause 21 million medical visits and nearly 20,000 deaths on average each year – many resulting from the kinds of activities conducted while spring cleaning.

“Whether it’s climbing, cleaning or carrying heavy loads, household chores can be risky,” says Meri-K Appy, Home Safety Council president. “Learning about the risks and taking the time to avoid them are smart ways to kick off this annual ritual.”

The council offers simple safety tips to keep in mind when cleaning:

• When cleaning out closets or reorganizing, keep stairs, steps, landings and all floors clear.

• Remember to reduce clutter and safely tuck telephone and electrical cords away from walkways. In homes with children, make sure toys and other items are always safely put away when not in use.

• If you need to climb, use a stepladder or ladder. When using a ladder, stand at or below the highest safe standing level. For a stepladder, the safe standing level is the second rung from the top, and for an extension ladder, it’s the fourth rung from the top. Before using, make sure the rungs are dry.

• Follow safety recommendations, such as wearing gloves and masks, when using harsh cleaning products. Do not mix products together because the contents could react, causing dangerous results.

• Never use gasoline as a cleaning solvent and never use or store gasoline in your home, even in tiny quantities. Because its vapors can readily ignite, it is too dangerous to use for any purpose other than as a motor fuel.

• Never leave a bucket or any standing water unattended, and store buckets empty and upside-down.

General home safety

Spring cleaning provides a perfect opportunity to evaluate the safety of your home, identify hazards and fix them before an unintentional injury occurs. The Home Safety Council provides the following list of safety improvements to help you make a clean sweep of your home while spring cleaning:

• Install grab bars and nonslip decals in all bathtubs and showers.

• Make sure all porches, hallways and stairwells are well lit. Use the maximum safe wattage in light fixtures.

• Place nightlights in guestrooms, bathrooms and walkways to help light the way during dark hours.

• Those living with young children in the home should install window guards to keep children from climbing up and falling out of open upper windows. Make sure window guards also have a quick release mechanism so an adult can open the window easily in case of a fire.

• Check to be sure flammable and combustible liquids are stored outside in a locking shed or the garage.

• Replace smoke alarm batteries.

• If you have a fire extinguisher, learn how to use it and install it properly near an exit; children should not be permitted to handle a fire extinguisher.

• Practice pool safety. If your house has a backyard pool, make sure the pool is protected with four-sided isolation fencing (five-foot high fencing on all four sides of the pool area – with no access directly from your house), and with a self-latching gate. Never prop open the gate.